Book Review: Kafka on the Shore

Ok, I'm back for a second post of the day, this time with a book review.

On the last day of work, at our "holiday party" we had a book exchange so that everyone who wanted to, could have a new book to read over break. The book I originally picked up was Water for Elephants which I already have, and have read, so I swapped with someone who had a book I hadn't heard of:

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami.

It sounded like it could be cool and one of my other coworkers said that she had read another book by this author that was pretty good. It's kind of a longer book at 467 pages, and it wasn't a super easy read. The book is very abstract in parts, and I spent a good portion of my time trying to figure out what the heck was happening...or wondering when everything was going to make sense. Overall, some of it made sense, but now that I'm finished I still don't understand everything that happened.

The writing is very vivid, and I could picture everything that was going on, even if I didn't necessarily understand what was going on. Does that make sense?

As for what the book is about....I can't even really begin to describe it. A 15 year old boy runs away from home--his mother left with his sister when he was 4 and apparently he is unhappy living with his father, who has given the prophecy that "Kafka" (the main character) will eventually kill him (the father), and Kafka will sleep with his mother and his sister (Oedipus much?). The whole book centers around the time that he has run away, but is more about existential type things. All kinds of crazy things encountered. Beyond that, I can't even really describe the book because I'm not entirely sure of what happened or how to convey it.

Would I recommend the book? Meh. If you didn't have a book to read, and were really looking to read something that is totally out there, then yes. Otherwise, it's a long book that is kind of confusing.

Have any of you read this book? What did you think if you did? Am I totally off base?

The positive note? Now I can read my next book, Divergent, on my Kindle! Woohooo!